Giving Thanks
by Romaqueen3
Summary: Three families, one dinner, instant disaster!
1. How It All Began

Lizzie sighed as she tossed a pillow onto the couch, she'd just finished thoroughly cleaning the living room and had rearranged the pillows for what seemed like the tenth time that day. But it was worth it, because tomorrow was going to be a big day, and the house had to look perfect. Nothing could be out of place.  
Sure, Miranda and Gordo had been there countless times, and they seen the house looking it's worst, but their parents hadn't come over to spend the whole day there.  
Lizzie shook her head, trying to recall how it had been agreed on, then finally, with a laugh, she remembered the night it had been agreed upon.  
It had been parent night at school and her parents had stopped to stop with Miranda's, then the group was joined by Gordo's parents. The group had talked animatedly as Lizzie stood to the side discussing senior year with her friend. When the cluster finally broke part, Lizzie followed her parents out to the car where she had over heard her parents talk about what a great Thanksgiving it was going to be.  
"What's going on?" she asked.  
"Well, you mother decided that since it is the last Thanksgiving before all of you kids start college," her father, Sam, began. "That it would be nice to have a large dinner with everyone there."  
"Like all three families?" Lizzie asked in disbelief. "But that's going to be a lot of cooking."  
"Well, it wouldn't be only me doing the cooking," her mother, Jo, replied. "Everyone's going to help."  
Those were the words that had sealed it. Lizzie sat down on the couch and ran a hand through her messy blonde hair.  
"It doesn't matter what you do," her little brother's voice called behind her. "You're still going to look horrible no matter how hard you try to hide your face."  
"Matt, go crawl in a hole," she barked. To her surprise, her brother followed the command and retreated to his room.  
Sighing, Lizzie stood up and looked around. The living room looked clean enough. Lizzie picked up the cup she'd been drinking from then carried it into the kitchen. She took a drink then sighed to herself.  
It was going to be fun to spend the holiday with her best friends. Miranda would keep her entertained, and Gordo, well, he would help balance her out. That's what he always did.  
She felt a smile tug at her lips as she thought about Gordo, so thoughtful, caring, considerate, cute. 'Woah,' she thought suddenly. 'Did I just call Gordo cute?' She laughed at herself, well he was cute, in a Gordo sort of way. But, he was her best friend, she couldn't, she didn't, did she?  
She shook her head and finished off her drink, her mind drawn back to the holiday that was only hours away.  
Though, as fun as spending Thanksgiving with her best friends, Lizzie was uneasy. Three families, three different backgrounds, things were definitely going to get crazy. 


	2. Psycho Analyze

Thanks so much to all the people who reviewed! Yea! You rock! If you like what you're reading, click that adorable little review button at the bottom of the page when you're done. Come on, you know you want to! Look how cute it is!! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"Look, whatever you do, please, do not, under any kind of circumstance, analyze anything anyone says," David "Gordo" Gordon pleaded with his parents as he put different cooking utensils into a bag.  
His father, Howard Gordon, smiled fondly at his only son. "But some people might be very interested in understanding why they say some things."  
Gordo shook his head, it was entirely too early on the holiday morning to be having this conversation. Well, nine thirty wasn't exactly early, but had he been given a choice, he would not be out of bed.  
Heaving a sigh, Gordo grabbed a bag and followed his father. "But some people like to be able to have a regular conversation without it being analyzed."  
"Our son is feeling restricted by our professions as psychologists and he is suffering from the adolescent fear that we, as his parental units, will embarrass him," his mother Roberta stated.  
"See! You've already started and I'm used to it!" Gordo exclaimed.  
"David, calm down," Roberta stated. "We won't analyze anyone."  
"Thank you, because you have no idea how annoying it is!"  
"Gordo!" Howard exclaimed, falling back into the nickname. When his parents used his given name, it usually when they wanted to have an edge.  
"What?" he laughed, following both his parents back into the house. "Okay, if you weren't a psychologist, would you like for someone to tell you that even a normal sentence meant that you were repressing years of anger?"  
"Usually it takes several sentences to discover if someone is repressing anger," Howard smiled.  
Gordo rolled his eyes as he grabbed another bag. He gave up arguing, his parents wouldn't analyze anyone because he had asked them not to, but he was not going to get off the hook easily and he would be better off letting the argument drop.  
After putting the bag into the trunk, he jogged back into the house, and ran upstairs to the bathroom. He glanced at the mess of ebony curls on his head, he knew it was useless to fight with them because in the end the curls would win. He needed to get them cut to a tamable length, but he hadn't felt like dealing with the hassle.  
He glanced down at his khakis and plain royal blue button down shirt. He knew he shouldn't go to Lizzie's house already wearing his good clothes for dinner. One, with Lizzie's klutz moments, the outfit would be in constant danger all day, and secondly the girls would not let him live this outfit down.  
He smiled as he thought of his best friends.  
Miranda and her rebellious ways. Her long black hair offset her bronzed skin perfectly. Her large brown eyes always sparkling with laughter. She always looked for adventure, and often that sense of adventure would lead him and Lizzie into some unusual situations.  
Lizzie, what all could he say to describe that girl. Blonde, beautiful, the perfect picture of Californian beach babe. She was kind, considerate, playful, he shook his head to stop himself. He was not going to think about her like that right now. Not when he had to spend the rest of the day with her and everyone around.  
He walked down the stairs and into the kitchen.  
"Gordo?" his mother called.  
'Great,' he thought. 'That tone doesn't sound good.'  
He walked into the kitchen and smiled at his mother. "Yes?"  
"Do you think Jo will mind if I make a cranberry pie?"  
"I don't see why not," Gordo replied slowly. Here was the part he had been dreading. His family being Jewish had different ideas than the other adults of what a traditional Thanksgiving Day meal would be. He had no idea how to address this issue to his parents without making the problem he had hoped could some how be avoided seem more prevalent than it really was.  
Gordo walked out to the car, and leaned against it. His mind going back to Lizzie. He couldn't hold out on his feelings for her forever. He could, no he would, find a moment alone with her today and tell her. It was a promise to himself. He either did it tonight, or he gave up, he would ask out the first girl he came across on Friday. It didn't matter if that girl was Kate Sanders or even Miranda. If he didn't tell Lizzie, it would be over.  
Sighing, Gordo opened the backdoor to the silver Chrysler as he watched his parents come out of the house carrying paper bags. What had they gotten themselves into? 


	3. Not A Word

Thanks so much to all those who reviewed! So what do you think you like it? You like where it's going? Please review and tell me what you think! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Miranda Sanchez led the way into the McGuire house hold then bolted up the stairs into her best friend's room. Her parents walked on into the kitchen where they began to unload their bags.  
"Happy Thanksgiving, Miranda," Lizzie smiled from her spot in front of her vanity as she brushed her blonde hair.  
"I hope so," Miranda breathed softly.  
"What?" Lizzie asked, putting the brush down as she turned around.  
"Well, I was talking to my parents on the way here and they want to make some Mexican dishes," Miranda explained, sitting on the edge of Lizzie's bed.  
"That shouldn't be so bad," Lizzie smiled comfortingly.  
"With normal parents, you would be right, but with mine," she trailed off.  
"Your parents will compromise," Lizzie assured her. "  
"Not with cooking! They argue about it with each other all the time at home."  
Lizzie laughed as she sat down next to Miranda on the bed. "It's going to great. We'll have a great dinner."  
Miranda wished she could have the faith that Lizzie did. But just seeing her parents bring in two stuffed paper bags so they could 'help' cook, she knew she had very right to worry.  
Lizzie heard the doorbell ring and started down the stairs, but Matt beat her to the door.  
"Sorry, we're closed," he stated, slamming the door.  
"Mutant!" Lizzie declared, shoving him aside as she opened the door.  
Miranda laughed as Matt pretended to be injured and scurried up the stairs. She pressed back a giggle when she saw Gordo's outfit and figured she would wait until they were upstairs before she began to pick on him for it. He caught her eye as he made his way into the kitchen and sent her a threatening look.  
"Not a word," he muttered, menacingly.  
Lizzie glanced up at Miranda on the stairs and they both let out a small giggle as they retreated quickly to her room. Miranda burst into peals of giggles, as she leaned against Lizzie's desk for support.  
"Did you see his," she didn't get to finish.  
"Sh!" Lizzie managed to squeak out over her own laughter. "He'll hear us."  
"Where's your camera?" Miranda asked.  
Lizzie managed to stifle her laughter enough to retrieve it from her closet, then Miranda sat with it focused on the doorway.  
Unsuspecting Gordo pushed open the door to Lizzie's room and Miranda snapped the picked.  
He forced a smile. "Thanks a lot Miranda," he replied, walking in and collapsing in a blow up chair. "All right, let me have it. I know you two have seventeen hundred comments, so let's hear them."  
The two girls looked at each other and started laughing before the other could say a word.  
"You two are going to get yours one day," Gordo stated ominously. "And then it will be my turn to laugh hysterically."  
"Aww, Gordo," Miranda smiled, throwing a pillow at him. "We only do it because we love you."  
"Yeah, right, whatever," he grumbled, putting the pillow behind his head.  
Miranda snapped another picture and his head snapped up.  
"Sanchez, don't make me take that camera," he threatened.  
"Ooh," she taunted. "All I have to do is hold it above my head, and then you can't get it." She bit her lip to keep from laughing. Before high school this would have been true, but during the past four years, Gordo had grown, and he was at least two inches taller than her. But it was okay, because her comment elicited the smile from him she had been searching for.  
  
Miranda turned toward Lizzie and snapped a picture.  
"Oh, that's going to be beautiful," Lizzie replied, rolling her eyes. "Lizzie zoning."  
"We're used to it," Gordo assured her. "It's the expression we see ninety-five percent of the day anyway."  
Lizzie made a face then grabbed a pillow and tossed it at him. "So not funny, David."  
"Don't call me that," he yawned.  
"Why, it's your name."  
"And what do you call me?"  
"Gordo," Lizzie replied.  
"Okay, let's stick to that then."  
Miranda made a face and leaned back on Lizzie's bed. Everything seemed okay right now. Everyone was groggy, but that was okay.  
The serenity was suddenly pierced by a loud shriek from downstairs. 


	4. A What?

Thanks so much to everyone who is reviewing! I'm so glad you like it! Everyone else, you know you want to review. Or at least know that I want you to review. So after you're done, click that pretty little review button! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Lizzie jumped off her bed and was quickly followed by Miranda and Gordo. "It starts," she muttered unhappily. She ran down the stairs and into the kitchen where she saw her father leaning down on the counter coughing.  
"Sam you're not supposed to eat that!" Jo exclaimed, patting her husband on the back.  
Lizzie glanced around, Miranda's parents were huddled together watching Sam with panic stricken looks on their faces.  
"What is it?"  
"It's Chorizo, which you're allergic to," Joe stated, smacking him harder on the back.  
Sam pulled away from his wife's pounding hand, coughed again then stood up. "I didn't know you bought Chorizo."  
"I didn't Daniella and Edward brought it," Jo stated, wiping her hands on a cloth.  
"We're sorry Sam," Daniella replied. "We didn't know you were allergic to it."  
"I don't think I had enough to have a reaction to, I just had a taste."  
"Here, go outside and sit on the patio and drink this milk," Jo stated, ushering her husband outside.  
Lizzie shook her head, feeling the tension in the room. Leave it to her father to cause this kind of turmoil. She walked into the kitchen smiling brightly. "So what can we do to help?"  
"Why don't you start on the vegetable trays?" Roberta asked, handing her son a bag.  
Gordo shot a glare at Lizzie who was gathering knives and peelers. "We'll take them in the living room."  
Miranda grabbed a tray, then followed the other two into the living room.  
Lizzie winced as she heard the adults begin to murmur among themselves as soon as they were out of hearing range.  
"Thanks for volunteering us, Lizzie," Miranda stated, sitting down in a chair.  
Lizzie pulled the washed vegetables out of the bag and spread them out onto the table. "Well, I had to say something, everyone was just staring at each other."  
"I didn't know your dad was allergic to Chorizo," Gordo stated, picking up a carrot.  
"That would have scared me if you knew, because I didn't know either," Lizzie laughed.  
"What is Chorizo?" Gordo asked.  
"It's a Spanish sausage," Miranda snapped, then turned her attention to Lizzie. "Doesn't your Dad check stuff before he eats it?"  
"Mom never keeps anything he's allergic to in the house, so it's not usually an issue," Lizzie replied.  
"This is such a great holiday!" Gordo exclaimed, reaching for a cucumber. "So much food."  
Lizzie realized what he was trying to do. It was only ten o'clock, too early for everyone to start bickering. "Has anyone seen my brother?" she asked, following the change of subject.  
"No," Gordo stated. "Not since he slammed the door in my face."  
Lizzie sighed. If he tried absolutely anything that would mess up this day, she would seriously hurt him. It wasn't enough that the adults were in the kitchen preparing for war, but who know what kind of evil trick he could be plotting.  
Miranda stood up suddenly. "I've got to go to the bathroom," she declared, walking quickly out of the room.  
Lizzie sighed and looked back at the clock, ten-oh-three, there was still a long way to go until dinner.  
***  
Gordo watched Lizzie who had taken over peeling the carrots. He could tell her now. Miranda had left the room and they were alone. Maybe the only time they would get to be today.  
'Sure,' he laughed at himself. 'Nice time to tell her, while we're covered in vegetables.'  
Lizzie looked up and caught his eye. "What?" she smiled.  
"N-nothing," he stuttered.  
Lizzie laughed and focused on his carrots.  
'Great answer,' he thought. 'And who can begin to guess what I'll say when I tell her. Hey Lizzie, guess what! I like your carrots.'  
He rolled his eyes at his own horrible joke. But he was still sticking by her resolution, he would tell her some time today. Before the night was over and his parents carted him back home, Elizabeth McGuire would know how he felt about her. 


	5. Pies and Sighs

Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewing! Everyone new, Read and Review! Comments are great! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Lizzie picked up the vegetable they had just finished cutting up into the kitchen. She had just put her foot in the door when the conversation abruptly stopped. Rolling her eyes, she set down the tray, then walked out.  
  
Her mind drifted to her little brother, it'd been entirely too long since he'd made any kind of scene. Biting her bottom lip in worry, she mounted the stairs, and hurried to his room.  
She knocked first, then heard his faint voice. "Come in."  
Pushing the door open, she smiled at him as he was sitting on the edge of his bed.  
"What are you doing, worm?" she called, leaning against the door.  
"Nothing," he answered softly.  
"Listen, bark breath, I know something's wrong, so spill," she commanded, crossing the room to lean against the desk across from him.  
Matt's face twisted in confusion for a second. He took a deep breath, then looked up at her. "What do you do if you like your best friend as more than a best friend?"  
"You like Melina?!" Lizzie exclaimed.  
"I think I do," Matt answered.  
"Aww!" she gushed sitting on the bed next to him.  
"That's not going to help," he grumbled, moving away from her and standing next to a wall. "I knew I shouldn't have told you."  
"When did you realize it?" Lizzie asked, watching him.  
Matt sighed. "All last week she was hanging out with the new guy, and even though he's done nothing to me, I can't stand the guy, and I think that means I'm jealous. And I wouldn't be jealous if I didn't like her."  
Lizzie pondered what to tell him. She imagined what it would be like if Gordo were to walk up to her and tell her he liked her.  
"Well, I'm glad you think it's funny," Matt stated, snapping her out of her daydream. "Because I don't!"  
"I don't think it's funny," Lizzie protested.  
"Yeah, and you were just sitting smiling like it was the best thing in the world," he replied, rolling his eyes.  
"I was smiling?" she asked. Lizzie thought for a moment, she'd been thinking about Gordo liking her as more than a friend and she'd started smiling? She began to reason that she wouldn't mind Gordo liking her as more. As a matter of fact, she'd be extremely excited if he did like her as more.  
"Have you told her?" Lizzie asked, trying to focus her attention on Matt right now.  
"No, what if she doesn't like me?" he asked.  
"Well, little brother," she smiled, standing up and rumpling his hair. "That's just a chance you're going to have to take.  
Lizzie walked out of his room and into her own. She checked her appearance in the mirror then applied some lip gloss. She wanted to laugh. It took Matt to make her realize that she had a crush on her best guy friend.  
Lizzie stared at her reflection, then her eyes moved to the pictures on the wall. She suddenly sympathized incredibly with Matt. What if Gordo didn't feel the same? What if she told and he didn't feel the same. Would things be weird? Could these new feelings she was finally going to allow to show change things between them?  
Lizzie's eyes went to a picture of her, Miranda, and Gordo on the wall. Did she really want to risk changing that stability they had achieved over so many years?  
Downstairs, she suddenly heard the raised voice of her mother. Unsure of what she was saying, Lizzie quickly walked down the stairs. Then she heard Miranda's mother's voice.  
"Don't tell me they're arguing about a frozen pie," Lizzie moaned, as she put together bits of the conversation. 


	6. Things Change

Well, look! I'm back with this one! I know it's been forever and I'm really sorry. So I made this one twice as long as the usual chapters for this story, and look for an update very soon because this will be finished by Thanksgiving! So same deal as always, read and REVIEW, and enjoy! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Miranda shook her head as she pulled the door the to the McGuire's silver van shut, how could adults find idiotic things like pies to argue about?  
She felt a bit of annoyance rise up. Probably the same way she and her best friend could argue on Thanksgiving. It wasn't that she liked being mad at Lizzie, it was just too much with the stress of the holiday and her parents battling with everyone else parents.  
"Miranda," Lizzie began, her voice soft. "I'm sorry about what I said."  
She was grateful Lizzie had brought it up first, because Miranda wouldn't have done it. "Me too," she agreed softly.  
"Friends?"  
"Always."  
Lizzie grinned and turned on the radio. Miranda felt a sense of comfort taking over again, but it didn't last long.  
"I have to tell you something," Lizzie began, Miranda didn't like that tone at all.  
"What?" she asked cautiously.  
"It's about Gordo."  
What could she possibly tell her about Gordo that was making her sound like this, Miranda wondered. "Go ahead."  
"Well, I-I like him," she stated.  
"You what?" she repeated.  
"I know it's weird, but I can't help it. I like Gordo," Lizzie insisted. She waited for a reply, but Miranda was silent. "Say something please."  
"I don't know what to say," she answered, staring out the window. The drove past several stores. Hardly anything was open, it was a holiday after all, but her parents had said they knew a store that was open, and though it was a far drive away, the girls had been sent on the task anyway and Gordo had been assigned to help Sam with setting up a large table.  
"You don't like him do you?" Lizzie asked suddenly.  
"No!" Miranda exclaimed, her voice shrill. "Why would I like Gordo?"  
"Then what's wrong, why are you not talking to me, are you still mad at me?"  
"No, I'm not mad," Miranda exclaimed, trying to sort out her feelings so she could explain them to her best friend. "Look, I'm worried."  
"Worried about what?"  
Miranda sighed, she knew she was going to sound completely unreasonable. "You and Gordo. It's been the three amigos forever. If you get together, it's not going to be the three amigos anymore, it's going to be Lizzie and Gordo, then the third wheel Miranda. And not that that's bad, I don't want to keep you guys apart, cause he likes you too. But I just don't want things to change."  
"Things won't change," Lizzie stated softly.  
"Things always change," Miranda stated, firmly.  
Lizzie fell silent, and Miranda never thought she would be so happy to see the 'Mom and Pop' shop as she was when they pulled into that parking lot. She'd climbed quickly out of the car before Lizzie had even turned off the engine. She walked up to the door, then paused, waiting.  
She really did want to see them together, because she'd know it probably before either of them did. It was in glances and their tones. But if they officially became a couple, Friday night movies, would become dates, and when on dates, you didn't want someone extra hanging around. Sighing, she smiled as Lizzie walked up to her. Oh well, regardless of what happened, she would be there, for both of them no matter what. ***  
Lizzie walked through the store. It was small and completely cluttered, but cozy. There wasn't anyone at the counter, but a bell had rang when they'd walked through the door, so she supposed someone would come up in a moment.  
She glanced at Miranda and shrugged, then walked towards the freezer in the back.  
"It's people like us, who make the people who have to work on Thanksgiving have a really horrible day," Miranda stated.  
"What?" Lizzie laughed.  
"Well, if it wasn't for people like us with burnt pies, they wouldn't have to work," Miranda reasoned.  
Lizzie pulled open the freezer door and grabbed two pie boxes. "You've got a point." She smiled and walked to the front counter.  
Now, a cute Hispanic boy was standing there, at first, Lizzie didn't recognize him, but as she placed the pies on the counter, she recognized him, he was in several of her classes at school. "José?"  
His head shot up at the mention of her name and he smiled. "Hey, Monster," he grinned, using the nickname she'd been given when she'd taken up playing flag football with the guys. "Hey, Miranda."  
"I didn't know you worked here," Lizzie stated.  
José shrugged. "It's not really work. My parents own this place, and they are visiting my brother in Missouri."  
"And they left you here all alone?" Lizzie asked, shocked.  
José shook his head. "My brother and I don't really get along, so I stayed behind."  
"What are you doing for dinner?" Lizzie asked.  
José stared at her. "Nothing, I'm working the store."  
Lizzie returned the state. "Well, close the store and grab a coat. You can't spend Thanksgiving all alone. We have more than enough food." She grabbed the pies and held them up. "And look! We have dessert too!"  
José looked like he didn't know what to say, he glanced from silent Miranda to Lizzie. "I could not impose on you like that, I will be fine."  
"Either you come with me, or you're dealing with me for the rest of the day," Lizzie stated stubbornly.  
José laughed. "Monster, you're persistent aren't you, McGuire?"  
Lizzie smiled and grinned. "Yeah, I am. Here's the money for the pies now go get your coat."  
José pushed the money back at her. "Think of the pies as my addition to dinner," he smiled, running a hand through his black hair. "I'll grab my coat."  
He disappeared through a door and Lizzie whirled around to face Miranda. "What happened to you? You haven't said a word."  
"I was watching you," Miranda replied.  
Lizzie smiled and brushed her blonde hair back. "Do you think I should have asked before I invited him? Oh well, it doesn't matter. Too late now."  
Miranda laughed and smiled at José as he came back out.  
"I'm ready," he replied.  
Lizzie picked up the pies, and pulled her keys out of her pockets. "Let's go home then." 


	7. Broken Plans

Wow, is all I have to say, I'm so surprised I got reviews for this even after Thanksgiving. So, this update is for all the wonderful people who reviewed and asked for me to finish. A special thanks to Lola, you got me thinking about this one again, so here you go! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Gordo jumped back as the folding table crashed to the ground.  
"Maybe if we lock the legs in before we set it up," he suggested to his father. Howard nodded and followed the suggestion and pulled the table into an upright position.  
"Hey guys," Sam called, walking into the room. He sat a table cloth on down and began to unfold it. "You know, Thanksgiving is a time that all men should give thanks." Howard nodded, then an smirk took over Sam's face. "Thanks that we're not women, and that we don't have to cook."  
Gordo rolled his eyes and shook his head. He wished the girls would hurry and get back, he was getting tired of being the center of all of the adults attention. Her looked around the kitchen the slid out quickly before anyone could pin him with a job then ran upstairs. He saw Matt's door closed and walked over. He knocked once, then twisted the knob and entered. He was surprised to see Matt sitting slouched in a computer chair, staring at the ceiling.  
"Something interesting up there?" Gordo asked, falling back into a bean bag chair.  
Matt peered over at him and slowly let his eyes fall shut. "No."  
"Hey," Gordo stated gently. "What's wrong?"  
"Melina's got a boyfriend," Matt stated bluntly.  
"Is that a bad thing?"  
Matt stared at the other young man. "How would you feel if Lizzie got a boyfriend?"  
"W-well, it wouldn't matter," Gordo lied. It bothered him to such an extreme that when ever she got a boyfriend, he'd either take on an extra curricular activity, he still had bruises from his attempt at the long jump, or he'd make feeble attempts at dating. The relationships never lasted long because it wasn't who he wanted to be with.  
"Well, that's how I feel now," Matt stated.  
Gordo stared at him, secretly wondering if he'd ever become this pathetic whining lump. "Well, what is staring at your ceiling going to change?"  
"Nothing."  
"Exactly! If you want the girl you have to go after the girl. Have you ever made a move on Melina?"  
"No," Matt stated, staring at him as if he'd begun to speak in French.  
"Well, see, there's one of your problems. And you can't just cave whenever something unexpected happens." Gordo paused, shocked that he was giving this kind of advice. But Matt seemed interested so he continued. "And when you get the chance, you should just jump on it. Because every time you look at her you'll regret not telling her how you feel."  
"How do you actually tell her though? And what if she doesn't feel the same?"  
"Well, that's a chance you have to take. If she doesn't feel the same, you have to move on, and hope that it doesn't damage the friendship. Don't hold it against her and let her know that there's no hard feelings. And to tell her, well, as soon as I figure that one out, I'll tell you."  
"You mean you like someone and you haven't told her yet?" Matt asked, a challenging note in his voice.  
"Hey," Gordo protested. "I'm working on it!"  
Matt glanced towards the window when he heard a car door slam. He stood up and crossed to the doorway. "I can't believe I was going to listen to your advice when you don't even know what you're talking about," he laughed, shaking his head as he left the room.  
Gordo took a deep breath and walked over to the windows and looked out. He saw the silver van back in the driveway, then he saw Lizzie climb out of the driver seat. With a deep breath he turned away from the window. No time like the present! He hurried down the stairs, telling himself that the best way to go would be to just be honest and say what was on his heart. Nodding to himself, he grabbed a hold of the door knob and pull, ready to pull Lizzie away and tell her.  
But every thought left his head when he saw her standing at the side of the car next to José, not just next to him, but her arm around his waist and his arm laying on her shoulders.  
"Hey, Gordo," she called happily. "Look who's joining us for dinner." She rushed past him and into the house with her guest in tow. Gordo's brain worked frantically to work out what he'd just seen. He stepped towards the car and Miranda who was sliding the back door shut.  
"What's that?" he asked.  
"Pies."  
"No, Lizzie and José."  
"He was working and she convinced him to leave work to come eat with us."  
"You don't seem happy."  
"Well, they both forgot I was there in the car, and I felt like I could have jumped out of the car and no one would have noticed."  
Gordo let out a sigh as he stared longingly after them. "So, do you think she likes him?"  
Miranda shrugged. "She was talking about liking someone else when we left the house."  
Gordo stared at her for a minute, an idea suddenly dawning on him. "Do you like him?"  
"What? Me? N-no, not at all," she sighed and dropped her hands to her sides and stared up at the sky. "Okay, yeah, I do. Or I thought I did. But obviously, he only has eyes for one."  
The sinking feeling in his stomach made him feel like it would be leaking out his toes soon. "What do you suggest we do?"  
"What is there to do?" she answered.  
He plucked the pies out of her hands and put his arms around her shoulder to pull her inside. "Get these pies inside before they melt." After that? He hadn't planned that far yet. But today, planning wasn't working out right at all, he'd have to take it as it came. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Are you still interested? Should I write more? Read and review and tell me what you think! 


	8. Missing

Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed! You all are awesome! Please read and review again! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Lizzie pulled the Hispanic boy in to the kitchen. She cleared her throat, hoping to catch the adults' attention. "Mom," she called when that didn't work.  
José stood silently beside her, looking at his feet.  
"Mom!" Lizzie snapped.  
The arguing in the kitchen finally stopped and her mother turned to look at her.  
"Yes, Elizabeth," Jo snipped.  
Lizzie winced at the use of her fist name, then smiled. "This is José, his family is visiting his brother for the holiday. And, well, no one should be alone on this holiday."  
Jo pushed a strand of her bangs out of her eyes then smiled at the young man. "Hello, José, it's great to have you. Lizzie, why don't you grab some plates, and José, grab the glasses and you guys can set the table."  
Lizzie nodded and led him to a cabinet. She pointed out the glasses then told him how many people were at the house. She then opened the next cabinet to grab the plates. She stood on her toes and laughed when José realized she couldn't reach and pulled them down for her.  
"Thanks," she grinned, brushing her hair behind her ear. She lead him to the table in the dining room.  
"Are your parents particular about how the table is set?" he asked.  
"No, as long as everything on the table, I don't think they'll notice much of anything else," Lizzie stated softly, glancing into the kitchen.  
José laughed. "Do you always have a big Thanksgiving?"  
"Well, usually my grandma will come over, but this year, Mom invited the Sanchezs and Gordons."  
José nodded. Lizzie glanced over at him out of the corner of her eye. "How about you?"  
"We usually have a small one," he shrugged. "It's never this close though."  
"Close?" Lizzie snickered. "They've done nothing but argue all morning."  
"Yeah, but they're not screaming, or throwing things. And you've got Miranda and Gordo."  
"I guess I do," she smiled. She finished the place settings. "I wonder where they disappeared to." She walked into the living room and found the two of them sprawled on the couch. Miranda's feet were handing over the arm of the couch, her back against Gordo's side. Lizzie laughed and plopped down on the couch beside them both.  
"What are we doing?" she asked, leaning her head back, looking up at Gordo. He said nothing and shrugged. Miranda let out a muffled little sound but still said nothing. Lizzie pulled herself in to an upright position and looked at them both. "Dinner isn't even done yet and you two are already ready for a nap."  
Still, they said nothing.  
José walked into the room and raised his eyebrow. "What's going on?"  
"Miranda, want to go outside?" Gordo asked suddenly, standing up.  
Lizzie stared at him, puzzled. "I'll go with you," she called, pulling herself off the couch. Gordo said nothing, but didn't wait for her either, he quickly walked outside.  
Lizzie made an irritated face, then quickly followed. What was with Gordo?  
"Hey," she called, walking outside. She saw him walk towards the driveway, then turned around and lean against the car. "What's up?"  
"Nothing."  
"Something. You've become insanely moody," she stated, crossing her arms.  
"Have you talked to your brother?"  
"No, what's that have to do with anything?"  
"He's a smart kid."  
"Gordo."  
"What?"  
"You're not making sense."  
"That's okay."  
Lizzie let out a frustrated moan and stared at him.  
"Where is José?" he asked.  
"Inside with Miranda."  
Gordo nodded then glanced towards the end of the street.  
Lizzie tried not to smile. He was so unbelievably adorable she wanted to throw her arms around him. Well, until he opened his mouth and started with the snappy attitude he'd had since she'd gotten back home.  
Crossing her arms over her chest she walked over and stood beside him, staring into the back yard as he was staring at.  
"Come on, Gordo, what's wrong. You know you can tell me."  
He slowly turned his head to look at her. His blue eyes locked with her own. He took a deep breath. "Lizzie, I-"  
"Lizzie!" Sam yelled, leaning out the patio door.  
Lizzie sighed and turned whirled around to look at him. "What?"  
"Have you seen your brother?"  
Lizzie wrinkled her forehead. "No."  
Sam quickly whirled around, Lizzie could hear his voice fill with worry as he called out, "Jo! Matt's missing!" 


	9. Insanity

Thanks to everyone's who reviewed! You've been so great sticking with me through this story and over my long hiatus. So, I hope you're enjoying it this far! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Gordo quickly walked inside. Though he'd never been close to Matt, he'd felt like within the last couple of hours he'd managed to find a closer connection with the younger guy.  
Jo was standing with her husband, a cordless phone in hand. "Should we try Lanny's parents?"  
"No, Lanny's family went out of town," Sam stated.  
"What about Melina?" he asked.  
The frantic parents turned to him curiously. "What?" Jo asked. "Did Matt say something to you, Gordo?"  
He shook his head. "I know he wanted to talk to her."  
Jo nodded then dialed the phone number. The room was tensely quiet. Lizzie came in from the patio, Miranda and José came from the living room. Jo looked up sadly and shook her head. "No answer."  
"Mrs. McGuire, I'm sure I know where Matt went. We were talking about twenty minutes ago. Go ahead and finish dinner, and I'll go find him."  
Jo looked over him for a minute, her mouth twisted pensively. She sighed, knowing that she had eleven people to help prepare dinner for. "Take a cell phone and call the moment you find him okay?"  
Gordo nodded. His parents handed him the keys, but he shook his head. "I'm not going to waste the gas." He walked towards the door.  
"I'll go with him," Lizzie called.  
Gordo heard her footsteps behind him. He sighed. Not quite sure if he wanted her to join him or not. He was still at a loss of what he was feeling. He'd been so confident and ready to tell her how he really felt until she'd come home with José, but then, she kept following him.  
He stepped outside and briskly walked down the walk. Hey, maybe if telling her how he felt didn't work, he could have her like a pet. 'Aw, pretty Lizzie. . .' Okay, now he'd completely lost his mind. It was amazing how when she completely took over his mind, the way insanity would run unbounded.  
"Gordo, wait a second," her voice floated though his head.  
With a start, Gordo realized it wasn't floating, it was actually Lizzie, struggling to catch up with him. He stopped and waited until she was along side him.  
"Gordo," she asked softly, sticking her hands in her back pocket. "What's going on with you. You're acting strange."  
"I'm not," he stated.  
"You are," she insisted. "What's been going on inside that head of yours?" She reached up and ran her hands through his hair.  
Gordo leaned to the side, just out of her reach. He would not become the tongue tide goof he usually did when she got this close to him.  
He avoided talk of what was really on his mind as he babbled about how hungry he was until they finally reached the park.  
He saw them right away. Melina was sitting on the table, her legs dangling over the side of the table, Matt was standing inches in front of her.  
"There he is," Lizzie muttered, advancing forward.  
Gordo suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She didn't realize it, but he could see by their body language, that they were talking about something important, and he was sure he knew what it was.  
"Gordo! What are you doing?" she demanded, staring at him.  
Gordo glanced over her shoulder back at them then at her. "They need to talk, it's important."  
"So important that he had to skip out on dinner and not tell anyone where he was going?" Lizzie sighed. "And how do you know that they need to talk."  
"I just do," he answered. he fell silent as he gazed into her eyes. He felt his courage returning. If Matt could do it, why couldn't he? "Lizzie-"  
"Gordo! Lizzie!" Matt exclaimed.  
Lizzie turned towards her bother, and Gordo let out a low frustrated groan as he tossed his head back. No, no, not again. He'd been interrupted yet again!  
With a sigh he followed behind her. Maybe this was a sign. Maybe he should just give up. If he hadn't gotten through it yet, he wasn't going to get through it. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Please read and review! 


	10. Confusion

Thanks for all the reviews. Wow, it's such a pick me up to find out people like you're writing! So, candy for everyone who reviews! You guys rock! Please read and review again! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"Matt, let's go," Lizzie stated impatiently, starting towards home. She expected Gordo to fall into step beside her but he didn't. She paused and glanced over her shoulder. "Gordo!"  
He looked up at her, not quickening his pace at all. Instead, he turned around and said a few words to Matt. Finally, he evoked a smile from the younger boy who nodded then walked quickly past.  
Lizzie paused, waiting for Gordo to catch up "What did you tell, Matt?" she asked.  
Gordo shrugged. "Nothing important, just something he needed to hear."  
She raised her eyebrows, but didn't press anymore. Gordo didn't seem like himself today. She wondered what he'd been trying to tell her but always stopped short of. She watched her feet and smiled up at him out of the corner of her eye. Even without words this walked was nice. "Gordo," she began slowly, not sure of how she was going to state this.  
"Yeah?"  
Suddenly, her nerve was gone, she hadn't planned on telling him, but she had planned on poking at the subject. "I know we were making fun of your outfit earlier, but I think it looks good." She moaned inwardly, lecturing herself, 'oh, nice one Lizzie, compliment the guy who doesn't care what he wears, or how good it looks. Yeah, great.'  
Gordo nodded but said nothing. Lizzie bit her lip, there had to be something she could say. He was her best friend, it shouldn't be this hard! She hated getting tongue tied around him. With an irritated moan, she suddenly made a decision. She wouldn't tell him, at all. She'd wait and find a new crush, someone who she would be able to forget about if the relationship went bad. After all, they were only in high school. A relationship could screw up a friendship that otherwise would last a life time. She wouldn't know what to do without Gordo there to balance her out. Suddenly, she turned and flung her arms around him. "You're such a great friend. And even when I act completely weird you're always there for me."  
Gordo awkwardly patted her on the back. "You're welcome," he answered.  
Lizzie dropped her arms to her side and continued walking. Her mind refused to give up on Gordo, or was it her heart? She still wondered what it would be like to just forget about dinner and just sit down with him, talking for hours. 'No, no no!' she commanded to herself. 'No thoughts about Gordo like this. None.'  
"That movie you've wanted to see came out today, maybe after dinner we could go check it out," he suggested.  
"Yeah! Miranda's wanted to see it, and I could pay for José," Lizzie nodded.  
Gordo stopped for a second, then crossed his arms over his chest as he walked. A weird look, almost smug, took over his face. "You know," he began slowly, a undercurrent of haughtiness dripped from his voice. "Miranda really like José."  
"She does?" Lizzie asked a feeling of hurt rushing over her. Miranda hadn't said anything to her. She'd confessed how she felt about Gordo, which would have been a perfect opening for Miranda to tell too, but she didn't. "When she'd tell you that?"  
Gordo shrugged. "Maybe she'll want to pay for José."  
Lizzie nodded slowly. Well, if that wasn't a kick, finding out your best friend didn't trust you enough to tell you about her crush.  
And the other, even more wonderful part, was Gordo finding amusement in her feeling of betrayal. What a wonderful holiday. 


	11. Ready

Wow, I can't believe how long this one day has lasted! It's the never ending day! But, I think the story is starting to wind down. Not really sure how many more chapters are left, but it should be wrapping up soon.  
Thanks so much to all the wonderful people who's reviewed! You're awesome! And please read and review again! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Miranda was sitting outside on the front stoop when she heard Lizzie's voice announcing they were back. José stood up suddenly from his spot besides her and went quickly into the house.  
With a sigh, Miranda propped her elbows up on her hands buried her head in her hands.  
"Hey," Gordo's familiar voice called softly.  
Running her fingers back and over through her silky hair, Miranda looked up at him. "Hey, yourself."  
He let out a low groan as he lowered himself down to the step. Miranda stared expectantly at him. "Well, we're going to a movie tonight," he stated.  
"We are?" she echoed.  
He bit his lip as he nodded. "Yeah, I tried to ask Lizzie to go with me, in my own round about way, and she decided that it was going to be a group outing."  
Miranda nodded, still feeling a heavy sense of depression because of the whole situation with José.  
"Except, well see, Lizzie didn't see what I was trying to do, and she suggested you coming, which I don't mind at all, and she said she would pay for José. And I don't know why, but I kinda, well snapped, and told her you liked him and that you would want to pay."  
Miranda laughed and shook her head. "And what were you going to do if I didn't have any money, Mr. Gordon?"  
"I've got money," he replied, then dropped his sad blue eyes to the ground. José came back outside and sat down on the other side of Miranda. "I'm going to go check on Matt," Gordo muttered, standing up and quickly retreating inside.  
"So, José," Miranda nodded. "Want to go see a movie tonight?"  
The attractive Hispanic dropped his gaze to the ground and silently shook his head. "Um, I should probably get home, to see if my parents have called."  
"Oh, well, I was going to pay for you, and it'd be nice to have four instead of three," she nodded. Suddenly, she decided tact was becoming very boring. "And you know, you're cool to hang out with, and I don't want you to go home," she stated bluntly.  
José laughed softly and looked over at her. "I will go then."  
She smiled, but still felt that nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach. "So, José," she began slowly. "What do you think about Lizzie?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well, I mean, what do you think of her. Do you like her?" she continued. Wow, it gave an empowering sense to let go of all inhabitations.  
  
José looked up at her, his face turned slightly pink. "I. . .well. . .oh man, I need to go talk to her," her murmured standing up quickly.  
Miranda started to call out but he was already in the house. With a frustrated groan, she fell back onto her spot on the patio step.  
"I think that's one of the quickest time to ever chase someone away," Gordo stated, walking up behind her.  
"Gordo, we're idiots," she mumbled, shaking her head.  
"Hey, you may be but I'm not," he protested.  
With an irritated huff, Miranda smacked his leg, then yanked him down beside her. "Look, we've been acting absolutely stupid. I mean, when we were going out for the pies, Lizzie was telling me how much she liked you. And I mean, that wouldn't change just because she invited José for dinner. And you've been acting like a nerd all day-"  
"Woah, wait a minute," he interrupted.  
Miranda stared at him, holding back the rest of her statement.  
"You knew Lizzie liked me?" he asked incredulously. "Why didn't you say anything!"  
Miranda made a face at him. "It's a code of honor thing with girls. You don't tell the guy your friend likes. It's one of the top betrayals."  
"Miranda!" he barked. "I don't care what freaky girl code you're breaking! You knew that I liked her!"  
"Okay, woah, hold up. I never knew for sure. You never actually told me, I was just relying on some freaking friend intuition I have," she stated.  
"You still could have told me! I'm your best friend too!" he protested meekly.  
Miranda stared at him. "You could have told me you liked her!"  
Gordo tossed back his raven head. "We are not going to start arguing. Look, we've gotten ourselves into this mess, we'll get ourselves out of it."  
Miranda tilted her head to the side as she looked at him out of the corner of her brown eyes. "I think you're right, I think we've made everything worse. The more we tired to fight the idea of Lizzie and José, the more we inadvertently pushed them together."  
Gordo nodded. "Well, I'll guess we'll just have to see what happens," he stated.  
Miranda nodded as the patio door opened once again. Matt hung out the door and smiled at them. "Dinner's ready." 


	12. Deadline

Thanks to everyone who's reading and reviewing! Please review again! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
The delicious aroma of so many different food assaulted Gordo's nose and he felt his stomach rumble in anticipation. What bit of table wasn't lined with plates, glasses and eating utensils, was covered in food dishes. From what he could see now, there was mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, stuffing, then turkey. Suddenly his mother pulled on his arm. Taking the hint he plopped down into the free chair between his parents.  
He glanced at the way everyone else was situated. Miranda was between her parents, Lizzie, also between hers, with Matt on her father's side and José on her mother's. Repressing a sigh at the confusion that lurked beneath the surface o the tranquil environment, he slid into his chair and clenched his hands beneath the table.  
His mother noticed his body language and reached out and gently patted his knee. He glanced up at her and smiled. If only she had any idea what kind of mood he was really in.  
Jo looked around the table and smiled. Gordo smirked as he caught Lizzie's panicked expression as she rested her head against her hands and closed her eyes.  
"First off," Jo began. "I want to thank our guest for coming over today. Even though it's been a different experience, this will probably be one of the best Thanksgivings that I will ever have. So, I'd like to start off. I'm thankful that we've had this wonderful time and we have wonderful children who have bless our lives in so many ways."  
During her speech, everyone had clasped their hands and dropped their heads. Nothing was said for several seconds and Gordo peered up in time to see Jo glare at her daughter and give her a sharp nudge in the ribs.  
Lizzie let out a small squeak. "Um. . .I'm thankful for a great family, and friends."  
"I'm thankful the house survived today with seven more people than it's used to," Sam stated.  
Gordo heard a slight scoff from somewhere around the table, but couldn't place it.  
"I'm glad that dinner is finally done, and Mom didn't burn everything," Matt muttered.  
"Matthew," Jo growled.  
Daniella let out a soft sigh. "I'm thankful that we could bring our daughter up in such a wonderful neighborhood and she could have such wonderful friends."  
"I'm grateful that. . .I don't want to repeat someone else's," Miranda muttered. Gordo held back a snicker as she rushed on. "I'm grateful that it's our last year of high school and we've survived it."  
"I'm thankful that everyone with us today is in good health," Edward stated. "May that health follow them for the rest of their lives."  
Gordo heard his father clear his throat. He tried not to worry, but it was always nerve racking when your parent was about to make a speech. "I'm thankful that our lives have been colored by the many personalities and people that we've been blessed to meet. That our children have potential to become anything they'd like. I'm thankful that we have been spared tragedy from effecting our lives."  
Now it was his turn. Gordo moaned inwardly, completely agreeing with Miranda. He didn't want to repeat anything, and many things had already been said. "I'm thankful that even when I act a little strange, I still have a great support system behind me," he began. "I'm thankful that my parents understand when I need space and know when to leave me alone. I'm thankful that even though I've never had any siblings, Matt can still come to me for advice. I'm thankful that Miranda always knows when there's something I'm not saying. And, I'm thankful for Lizzie, because Lizzie is my best friend, I've know her my whole life, and I wouldn't know what to do without her."  
He was tempted to say more. He almost said more, but not now, not in front of everyone.  
Roberta laughed softly. "I'm thankful I have such an articulate son, a thoughtful husband, and a wonderful circle of friends who have blessed me in so many ways."  
"I'm thankful that I was invited into a wonderful home, and that I get to experience a real family dinner," José said softly.  
There was a collective 'amen' as heads around the table were raised. Gordo glanced at Lizzie. She stared into his eyes for several minutes, then dropped her gaze. For a panicked moment, he thought she'd figured it out and was trying to brush him off. Then with a laugh, he convinced himself that he hadn't said anything that could have been taken the wrong way.  
He finally got a helping of all the foods then glanced down at his watch. The deadline he'd set for himself was drawing closer. And the longer he thought about it, the more he began to convince himself that it was a bad idea. 


End file.
